The Lisbon Offspring Theory
by Ebony10
Summary: Very short sequel to Childish Capers. Jane contemplates life and ends up pondering a new theory.


The epilogue! Yay! Trying to get back in the swing of writing happier, fluffier fics. It was a bit harder than I expected. Guess I'm just in a reflective, sad mood for writing...but this one is happy. I promise. Hope you enjoy it.

P.S. Though they are married, I stayed with the Jane and Lisbon terminology rather than changing at the end of the story.

**The Lisbon Offspring Theory**

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Patrick Jane groaned as he felt a concentrated mass of weight drop onto his back. He burrowed his head into his pillow and reached out with his arm, flailing around to find his wife. His hand connected with a warm shoulder and he moved caressingly up to her soft hair, stroking gently.

"Your daughter wants you."

His words, muffled by the pillow, caused her to stir, but not rise. He could almost see her turning her head toward him skeptically. Well, if his eyes were open, that is...

"Sure she does. That's why she's on _your_ back."

Jane chuckled as small hands patted his head.

"Daddy..." The cajoling voice got to him. He could never turn it down. Lisbon always laughingly chided him, saying it was what he deserved for almost always getting his way. Their daughter was a mini female version of him.

He turned around carefully while keeping the child above—a technique it seems only parents could perfect. He smiled at her.

"Good morning, my dear."

Rhiannon looked down at him, all bright blue eyes and wild dark hair. She flopped down on his chest, propping her head in her hands with her elbows resting on him. "Who's gonna make my choco-pancakes?"

Jane knew this routine well enough to know that the question wasn't literal. Rather it was a mild scolding for him not being ready and waiting with her pancakes as she awakened. Little minx...

"Ani," her mother started—Rhiannon had been a bit of mouthful for such a petite little girl—as she sat up in the bed, "Daddy needs sleep, too. It's hard work keeping up with you and your brother."

Ani thought it over before nodding in understanding. "Yeah, Daddy's older than you so he needs more sleep, I s'pose."

As she watched the indignant look on Jane's face, Lisbon had to work very hard to keep her laugh from escaping. She hopped out of bed and held her arms out for her daughter. "C'mon. How 'bout we let the old man get dressed and we wake up your brother?"

"He's already awake, Mom. Reading."

As his two girls padded down the hall, Jane slid out of bed grumbling. "Old, my ass..."

Still, as he brushed his teeth, he couldn't help searching the mirror for the few wrinkles around his eyes. Laugh lines, he decided. Rebelliously, he wore only jeans on his way downstairs to the kitchen. For an 'old man,' he knew he still had a damn nice chest. His wife dared to call him old...his own daughter. Traitor.

He stopped in the doorway to the living room, seeing his wife on the couch with a child on each side. If someone had told him six years ago that he'd be married with two kids, that he'd be _happy_, he would have laughed patronizingly in their face. Yet here he was.

A five year old son and a four year old daughter (man, _that_ had been fun in the first two years...he shuddered to remember). A son with blond hair and green eyes. A daughter with hair like her mother and eyes like his own. He had been relieved. His first daughter had been blond. While he would have loved Ani either way, it was somewhat easier that there were fewer similarities in looks. The first time he had thought about his daughter without his heart clenching had shocked him. And he had felt guilty at first, but slowly he had healed. He had realized that his family, the one he had lost, would not have been angry with him. He had finally accepted that they would want him to be happy.

And so he had allowed himself to be.

Landon loved to read. Probably the influence of Uncle Cho...with an insatiable appetite for learning, he promised to be very gifted. His intelligence was ahead of his age. He was a rather serious child at times, but he had a playful side that surprised people who didn't know him well.

He was rather like his mother. Logical. Loyal.

It always amused Jane that their son took after Lisbon and their daughter after him. It was as if Landon had lulled Lisbon into a false sense of complacency. She had always said she would never be able to handle two of Jane. Ah, fate. It had sent a second challenge to her in the form of a little bundle of mischief.

Jane wondered when he'd first be able to show her how to hypnotize people. Maybe a little secret from Mommy...

"Who wants pancakes?"

Landon jumped up. "I do!"

Jane continued through the living room on his way to the kitchen, snatching the boy up in a football hold. "Master Chef and his miniature assistant."

"Da-ad," Landon drew it out in a long suffering sigh, sounding much like his wife did.

As Patrick Jane stood barefoot flipping pancakes, he thought back to the beginning. Not when he had first met Lisbon. Not when he had joined the CBI.

But when he had seen her enter the office with two children who looked so like her. Alex and Bronwyn.

And he knew he owed them. Because of them, he had found happiness. Love.

Hmm, now that he thought about it...it was a little curious that both sets of Lisbon offspring had been boy, then girl. He thought about his newest niece—only a month old. He wondered...

He grinned rather wickedly and noticed the wary look his wife gave him. She'd never know what hit her. This 'old man' still packed a punch.

Besides, he had to test his Lisbon Offspring Theory. He just loved to be proved right.

Looking down at Ani, who eagerly shoveled in pancake after pancake (really, she was hanging out with Rigsby far too much), he thought that another little girl who smeared chocolate all over her face could be a nice addition to the family.

He wondered if the next one's personality would be a mix of both he and Lisbon.

Ooh, man. Watch out, world.


End file.
